Lead AI Engineer

Lead AI Engineer

£560 per day (Inside IR35) | 12-Month Contract | Remote with Occasional London Travel

We are seeking an experienced Lead AI Engineer to join a high-profile government programme, leading the design and delivery of AI-enabled digital services and platforms.

This role will provide technical leadership across multidisciplinary teams, shaping architecture, engineering standards, and AI implementation strategies while supporting the development of scalable, secure, and user-focused solutions.

Key Responsibilities
* Lead the design and delivery of AI-enabled digital products, platforms, and services
* Provide technical leadership to front-end, back-end, and AI engineering teams
* Define and implement solution architecture, engineering standards, and best practices
* Drive the integration of Generative AI, LLMs, and machine learning capabilities into production services
* Work closely with senior stakeholders, product teams, architects, and delivery leads to align technical solutions with business objectives
* Mentor and develop engineering teams, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement
* Ensure solutions meet government requirements for security, accessibility, scalability, and resilience
* Support technical governance, architecture reviews, and delivery planning activities
Essential Skills & Experience
* Significant experience in a Lead Engineer, Principal Engineer, Technical Lead, or AI Engineering Lead position
* Proven experience delivering AI-enabled products and services in complex enterprise environments
* Strong software engineering background across modern front-end and back-end technologies
* Experience designing and implementing cloud-native architectures within Azure, AWS, or GCP
* Strong understanding of Generative AI, LLMs, AI orchestration frameworks, and enterprise AI integration patterns
* Experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams through the full software delivery lifecycle
* Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills
* Previous experience delivering technology solutions within UK Government or Public Sector environments (essential)
* Eligible to obtain and maintain BPSS clearance

Desirable Experience
* Experience delivering AI-enabled mobile applications
* Knowledge of MLOps, DevSecOps, CI/CD, and Infrastructure as Code
* Experience with vector databases, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and AI agent frameworks
* Exposure to GDS standards and government digital delivery practices

Contract Details
* Role: Lead AI Engineer
* Rate: £560 per day
* IR35: Inside IR35
* Duration: 12 months
* Location: Remote, with occasional travel to London
* Clearance: BPSS Eligible
* Start Date: ASAP


LA International is an award-winning partner of choice for many of the world's most influential companies and government organisations. Holding Enhanced Government Security Accreditation, we are recognised as the European market leader in the delivery of Security Cleared talent to organisations that demand the very highest levels of security, compliance and assurance.

A multiple award-winning organisation, having secured the prestigious Queens Award for Enterprise: International Trade over consecutive years. We are committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable and accessible workplace where everyone feels valued and supported. We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of background or identity, and we encourage candidates who may not meet every listed requirement to still apply. If you require any adjustments or support during the recruitment process, please let us know and we will work with you to ensure a fair and accessible experience.

Please Note: If a high volume of applications is received, only candidates shortlisted will be contacted.